עברית
Holidays
Is it permitted to wear gold jewelry on Yom Kippur?
Question
Is it permitted to wear gold jewelry on Yom Kippur? Thank you very much
Answer
Greetings,
One should not wear white garments that are adorned with gold on Yom Kippur, as white garments symbolize atonement (according to what is written in the book of Isaiah 1:18, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow"). Therefore, they should not be covered with gold since it evokes the sin of the Golden Calf.
However, gold jewelry that does not belong to the garment and does not imply atonement, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, and gold watches, are not a concern regarding the remembrance of the sin of the Golden Calf.
Nonetheless, due to "fear of the judgement", neither men nor women should wear anything other than the jewelry they are accustomed to wearing on weekdays, and not jewelry that is special for Shabbat and Yom Tov (see Mishnah Berurah, Orach Chaim 603:16, and what is mentioned in the book Piskei Teshuvot there, section 5).
May you be sealed for a good year,
Hillel Meirs
